455: Amazon to Close Chinese Marketplace

An episode of eCommerce Minute

The eCommerce Minute is your daily dose of eCommerce, tech and retail news, with your hosts John Suder, Bart Mroz, and Brittany Blackman. The show is a production of SUMO Heavy, an eCommerce consulting firm with offices in Brooklyn, NY, and Philadelphia.

Lord & Taylor, once known as a high-end fashion destination has been sold to Le Tote, Inc., a fashion rental subscription service.
LeTote scooped up the luxury retailer for a mere $75 million with an additional $25 million in the form of a secured promissory note after two years.

Idle Fish is Alibaba Group’s secondhand marketplace that puts unwanted goods to use elsewhere, carving out a channel that makes recycling unwanted garments as easy as making an online purchase.
Launched in 2014 by China’s largest online marketplace, Taobao, Idle Fish is now China’s largest secondhand trading platform in terms of monthly active users, with more than 200 million registered users, and over half of them born after 1990. Idle Fish started as an online platform allowing China’s consumers to cash in on used goods that “idle” at home.
Mentions:
• Idle Fish
• Ant Forrest
• Alizilla
• ThredUp

Macy's and JCPenney have recently announced plans to partner with a trendy online consignment store popular among millennial and Gen Z shoppers called ThredUp.
They will be opening branded stores with their secondhand clothing and accessories in 40 Macy’s locations and 30 J.C. Penney stores starting this month.
Mentions:
• ThredUp
• Blobby's World
• Recommerce Surges as Retailers, Brands Get in the Game (Practical eCommerce)

Target and Disney have recently announced a new partnership that will allow customers to buy Disney products right at its stores. The new Disney “shop-in-shop” experience will be located in 25 Target locations beginning in October.
• How will Target's new Disney shops compare with J.C. Penney's?

Combining the growing trend of rental services and the popular concept of subscription boxes, Urban Outfitters has officially launched their rental subscription service called Nuuly.
Nuuly is a rental platform that offers more than 1,000 items from over 100 different brands. For $88 a month, subscribers can rent six items at a time per month.
Also:
Brittany offers fashion tips, John admits he "Marie Kondo"-ed his t-shirt collection, Bart shares his t-shirt hack.
Mentions:
Nuuly
Rent the Runway
Marie Kondo

Uber Eats has begun to insert itself into the dine-in business. A new option in some cities lets you order your food ahead of time, go to the restaurant, then sit down inside to eat it.
Diners aren't charged for the service. Instead, restaurants pay a fee that varies from market to market, and customers can tip restaurant employees through the app. The feature is designed to allow restaurants to focus mainly on making food and providing top-notch service to customers.
The new Dine-In option is now available in some cities, including Austin, Dallas, Phoenix and San Diego.
Also:
We discuss food delivery options and their myriad fees and the ongoing chicken sandwich battle.
Mentions:
Uber Eats
Uber Eats Pool could make ordering food a whole lot cheaper
The Rise of the Virtual Restaurant

Pinterest has introduced emotional wellness activities tailored for the millions of users searching the visual pinboard for emotional health and related topics.
Created in partnership with Brainstorm, the Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation, Vibrant Emotional Health, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the activities are meant for users to complete when they are feeling anxious, sad or stressed.
Also:
The gang discusses the toxic world of social media, meditation and mediation apps.
Mentions:
Bird Twitter Is My Oasis in Internet Hell
Insight Timer (Meditation App)
Calm (Meditation App)

Facebook has launched what it describes as a “small-scale test to sell subscription VOD services directly to users”. Initially, the Facebook video subscriptions will be available for four services: BBC and ITV’s BritBox, CollegeHumor’s Dropout, MotorTrend App and Tastemade Plus.
Also, we discuss our favorite streaming platforms, John reviews the Amazon Prime remake of 'Papillion' and Brittany confesses her love for the show 'Jersey Shore'.
Mentions:
Facebook Video Subscriptions
Trevor Wallace
You Betcha
Papillion
Jersey Shore

The eCommerce Minute is back after a short Summer break!
Today's episode:
Amazon has recently launched Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe, a styling service available to all Prime members through the Amazon App.

Doorbox Corporation has invented a solution to solve the growing problem of package theft of Amazon and other online deliveries by implementing what they claim is the world’s first alarm-enabled, foldable, secure packaged delivery box.

Amazon has recently announced that it will partner with Realogy Holdings Corp. to launch a new home-buying program called TurnKey.
TurnKey will allow homebuyers in 15 cities to instantly connect with a pre-vetted, high-rated real estate agent in their area.

Google's new offering personalizes shopping suggestions for users based on their web activity, directing shoppers to purchase products through the Google site, a third-party retailer's site, or in-store.

Tru Kids Brands, the new owner of the company, has recently announced that Toys "R" Us is being reborn in the United States with two new stores. The return comes a little over a year after the chain collapsed, resulting in the shuttering of all 700 of its American stores.

The difference between REV-1 and other autonomous delivery bots is that the REV-1 is lightweight and low cost, so there are no expensive lidar sensors on the vehicle. It just operates in a bike lane and is designed to travel in rain or snow, making it qualify under e-bike regulations, especially since it does not exceed 15 mph.

Earlier this month, Pinterest introduced their new and improved video platform including new video features for creators and businesses to reach their audiences including an improved uploader, video tab, lifetime analytics, and Pin scheduling.

Founded 3 years ago by Jeff Cavins, Jennifer Young, and Ryan Quinn, Outdoorsy is one of a handful of companies capitalizing on a global trend taking the nation by storm: young people are so over hotels.

Setting an important standard in accessibility in healthcare, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies recently announced that they’re introducing En-Vision America’s ScriptTalk audible prescription labels into nearly 1200 of their pharmacies.

Riders can shop for products from a number of brands, including Glossier and Amazon, as well as items like AirPods, while they’re in an Uber, to be shipped by Cargo to their house two to five days later.

When you sign up for Amazon Assistant, a comparison-shopping tool that customers can add to their web browsers, you’ll get a $10 credit. The Amazon Assistant tool compares Amazon’s price for products with prices that users see on Walmart.com, Target.com and elsewhere.
In order for it to work, the assistant needs access to users’ web activity, including the links of certain pages of content they view.

The new service, called 7NOW, reaches more than 2,000 7-Eleven “hot spots” including New York’s Central Park and Venice Beach in Los Angeles. To use the service, customers need to download the 7-Eleven’ 7NOW app and select “Show 7NOW Pins” to find a hot spot close by.

At its launch, Verishop had roughly 160 verified brands, and around 4,000 items including AllSaints, Diane von Furstenberg's DVF, and Levi's, and expects to gather over 300 more brands by the end of this year.

The company specifically chose fitness equipment that was interactive, and items that virtually connect you with coveted fitness trainers to help you “stay motivated, have fun, and get the most out of your workout.”

Amazon has announced that Amazon Restaurants is shutting down in the United States, and will cease operations on June 24. The 4-year-old service has lurked in the shadows of its competitors for too long, and Amazon has decided to pull the plug.

Sam’s Club is introducing a tool called "Sam's Garage" that will enable members to get "personalized tire recommendations in less than five minutes”. Sam's dug through 25+ year old technology, 600 clubs, five systems and inventory for each, totaling 1,100+ data sources to built the app in 9 months.
Sam’s Club employees will carry tablets to use the app to assist customers.

Macy’s recently launched an out-of-home experiential campaign that asks consumers to use their phones at popular summer spots around the United States.
In partnership with Pinterest, these places feature Pinterest Pincodes that consumers can scan with their phones, and are then directed to a Pinterest board with outfits curated for that specific location.

Amazon has been conducting research that involves digital 3D "scans" of people's bodies in exchange for a $25 Amazon gift card.
The purpose of the study is to “learn about diversity among body shapes,” for customizable apparel and not for marketing purposes.

Car shopping is one of the most dreaded, anxiety-inducing financial decisions. People repeatedly list car shopping as the worst shopping experience.
Cars.com understands this fear and feeling of vulnerability, so they decided to do something about it.
They’ve introduced technology that will match you with a real-life salesperson tailored perfectly to fit your shopping style.

Taco Bell announced that it is debuting The Bell, a hotel and resort in Palm Springs, California. The hotel plans to open its doors on August 9, but only for a limited time.
The hotel will feature a pool with themed activities and sauce packet floaties; a nail and a hair salon inspired by Taco Bell, and a gift shop selling exclusive branded apparel.
The entire establishment will feature taco-inspired decor, and everything from the guest rooms to the cocktails will have a ‘Taco Bell Twist’.

Amazon is developing a voice-activated device worn on the wrist, that can recognize human emotions, described as a health and wellness product.
According to Bloomberg, the Alexa voice software team and Amazon’s Lab126 hardware division are collaborating on the new device.

Coupang is the largest online retailer in South Korea, with more than $3.8 billion in annual sales.
The startup is celebrating its 9th birthday this year, and half of South Korea’s 51 million people have downloaded its mobile app.
Coupang is the fastest-growing and best-financed e-commerce site in South Korea.

On May 15, 2019, Binji, a financial tech company launched the most fully realized personal finance platform to pay and receive payments in today's digital age. It's the only platform offering the ability to consolidate credit and debit cards into a single card to use as funding sources for your Binji Account

Crazy Cazboy’s is changing the way pricing and sales dynamics work; it’s a store where prices decrease steadily throughout the week.
On Friday, the discounter brings out new merchandise all priced at $6. On Saturday, prices drop to $5. Continuing the day-to-day decline, on Wednesday the price on all products reaches a low of 25 cents.
The store then closes on Thursday to restock, and the prices go back to $6.

Amazon has officially begun rolling out machines that do an important job that is held by thousands of people; boxing customer’s orders.
Amazon’s plan is to reduce labor and boost profits using automation to do common warehouse tasks, and not just solely for speed reasons as some may speculate.

Burger King has recently begun to roll out its ‘Traffic Jam Whopper’ campaign in Mexico City.
This delivery platform will bring BK food to consumers in the most heavily gridlocked areas within a 1.8 mile radius of a Burger King restaurant.

The world's biggest retailer is launching an online pet pharmacy and will expand its in-store veterinary clinics.
Walmart's online pet pharmacy site is WalmartPetRx.com, similar to PetSmart's Chewy.com, that will deliver pet meds straight to your door.

Users are rewarded for making environmentally friendly decisions and earn points, such as recycling old clothes or walking to work instead of driving. These points can then be redeemed to plant trees.
To date, more than 100 million actual trees have been planted covering 580 square miles in desert regions of the country.

Timed to Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the "Real Meals" include the Blue Meal, Salty Meal, Yaaas Meal, and DGAF Meal.
Burger King is also making a donation to Mental Health America, but says that's "just a plus," as awareness was the key goal of the partnership.

The hotel chain is launching its own version of home sharing for vacation rentals to compete with the likes of digital sellers like Airbnb and VRBO.
The initial offerings will include 2,000 homes in 100 destinations. The company says it will focus on premium and luxury homes in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Among its listings, you will find unique homes like a castle in Ireland with a private lake, a 6-bedroom London townhome with a climbing wall, and an oceanfront villa in Anguilla with a private beach, butler, and staff.

Walmart has unveiled its new “store of the future” which will serve as a testing ground for new technologies.
The store concept is called the Intelligent Retail Lab — or “IRL” for short — features AI-enabled cameras and interactive displays.

7-Eleven is testing some new concepts for its convenience stores. It’s opened up an experimental testing ground in Dallas that company execs have named the Lab Store.
With its rebranded lab store, 7-Eleven is testing its ability to be seen as a convenient place to pick up healthy snacks and enjoy a better-for-you meal.

The grocer plans to participate in a program called Produce RX to help give their customers in the Washington DC area access to healthy foods.
The program is in partnership with DC Greens, a nonprofit that works to improve food education, increase food access and advocate for better food policy.

Clothing and fashion retailer Forever 21 announced its shutting down its online stores in China.
The company announced that it would close all its online shops, while huge clearance sales are ongoing in its physical stores.

Target is joining the growing ranks of retailers shifting product lines to organic, all-natural, and recyclable products.
Everspring is the name of a new suite of products launched by Target that are made from renewable materials, recycled products, and plants.
The Everspring line will encompass more than 70 household products, such as paper towels, napkins, cleaning products, laundry detergent, and hand soaps.

A company from Washington called StixFresh has developed a solution formulated from all-natural ingredients that can help extend the shelf-life of avocados, citrus fruits, mangoes, and apples up to 14 days.

It’s not clear exactly how Facebook expects to use the assistant, but one sign may be in the team that’s heading up the project.
CNBC reports that Facebook's Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality group is leading the effort. That’s the division overseeing development on its AR Oculus headsets.
The voice-enabled tech might be incorporated into devices like Oculus and its Portal video chat.

We recycle paper, glass, and plastic. We recycle metal and cardboard. But have you ever thought about recycling your sneakers?
Adidas thinks it's time.
They're launching a new performance shoe made entirely of recyclable materials. Adidas says that, by enabling a manufacturing model where raw materials from one shoe can be used to make another, it intends to take responsibility for the entire life of a product.

Amazon is pulling the plug on its Chinese marketplace. The U.S. e-commerce giant will instead focus on the lucrative businesses of selling overseas goods and cloud services in the world’s most populous nation.
This means Amazon customers in China will no longer able to buy goods from Chinese merchants.

Meal kit convenience comes with a massive downside. A typical meal kit delivery comes with insulation, gel-filled icepacks, and tiny lil containers or bags holding individual ingredients–like a few sprigs of herbs or a few spoonfuls of sauce or condiments –all this inside a giant cardboard box.
The Liviri containers eliminate single-use packaging and can be reused up to 75 times.

Hungry, but short on cash? Listen close, we've got some good news.
Nissin Foods, makers of the iconic Cup Noodles, has teamed with food and drink blog Foodbeast to create a vending machine that trades Instagram posts for prizes.

Walmart is going robotic. The largest retailer in the world announced it is adding thousands of robot workers to its stores.
Some robots will be autonomous floor scrubbers. Walmart also plans to use robots that can scan inventory on shelves and bots to automatically scan deliveries as they roll off trucks.
The company said it’s a high-tech approach to solving workplace problems.

Amazon Go has been touted to be the convenience store of the future - no cashiers, no cash - just use your phone to check in, grab your things and go. A frictionless transaction for the customer on the go.
Well, we might have to put a pin in that last part about being cashless.
Responding to growing criticism, Amazon has revealed that it plans to allow customers who shop at its Amazon Go stores to pay with cash.

Millions of consumers have embraced the voice revolution, using their devices for news, music, games, and ecommerce. But, With any new-fangled tech, there's always that one person you know who says, "I won't use that, someone might be listening."
Well, this time your conspiracy-minded friend is actually right.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Amazon employs thousands of workers who listen to voice recordings captured by the company's Echo "smart" speaker devices in people's homes.

Fashion designers are always pushing the envelope when it comes to the latest designs.
Is the next trend in fast fashion, natural and organic materials from plants?
H&M’s latest collection is using materials from Pineapple leaves, Orange Peels, and Algae.

After acheiving success as an online furniture and home decor website,
Wayfair.com is now looking to the real world for its next investment. The company is opening up its permanent first brick-and-mortar store inside a Massachusetts mall.
Shoppers will be able to buy an assortment of home decor products, as well as place orders for home deliveries.
A spokeswoman said the store’s “front of the house” will cover more than 3,700 square feet.

The rumors are flying that Microsoft is planning one of two things – either unleashing a Shopify competitor or try to buy up Shopify itself.
Microsoft officials told The Information that Microsoft is seriously considering such a move because its customers, especially larger ones, are asking for such a capability.

The grocery battle between Walmart and Amazon rages on.
Walmart is rolling out a new voice-ordering capability called Walmart Voice Order, which works across Google Assistant-powered platforms.
Voice shopping for grocery pickup will be offered at more than 2,100 Walmart stores and for online delivery at more than 800 stores.

Have you ever woken after a particularly rough night and found those Amazon emails in your inbox listing several strange items on their way to your doorstep?
No need to feel shame - You're not alone. A survey carried out by tech and business newsletter The Hustle revealed that waking up with a hangover plus a confirmation receipt for a purchase while drunk is actually a pretty common thing in the United States.

Square, Inc. recently announced a retooling of its Square Online Store and Square for Retail products. These tools allow merchants to add e-commerce to their sales operations, including tools like Instagram selling, shipping and in-store pickup.
The products are partly the result of the payment company's acquisition of Weebly last year.

McDonald's corporation recently announced its biggest acquisition in 20 years with the 300 million dollar purhcase of Dynamic Yield Ltd.,
Dynamic Yield is a startup that provides retailers with algorithmically driven “decision logic” technology and allows McDonald's to better personalize menus.

eCommerce platform Big Commerce is rolling a new platform for business-to-business solutions for online merchants. It brings together services for wholesalers, manufacturers, and distributors to create a unified B2B e-commerce solution.

At the Adobe Summit last week in Las Vegas, Adobe announced the launch of Commerce Cloud, the newest part of the company's Experience Cloud.
Commerce Cloud is built on the company's 1.68 billion dollar acquisition of the Magento platform last May.
Commerce Cloud is essentially a fully managed cloud-based version of the Magento platform fully integrated with the rest of Adobe’s tools, including its Analytics Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Advertising Cloud.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba has unveiled a futuristic model for hotels. The 290 room “Flyzoo Hotel” in Hangzhou, China was brought together by Alibaba's online travel platform Fliggy.
The hotel brings together technology and hospitality to find innovations that empower the hospitality industry in the digital age.

The pop-ups were a way for Amazon to test various retail concepts but were never meant to be permanent. They were an experiment to let customers try out and buy products like tablets, smart speakers, and other tech gadgets. With the closing, the company is focusing on more traditional brick and mortar stores.

In a blog post earlier this week, Instagram announced Checkout, a new feature that allows users to buy items they find in their feeds without having to click out of the app. Checkout offers a secure shopping environment and doesn’t require members to log in because it stores members’ payment information.

For $36 a year - plus about $11.29 per order, depending on the blend, Bottomless will keep you stocked with your favorite beans before you even run out.
Bottomless sends its members an internet-connected scale free of charge, which members place under their bag of coffee grounds. The scale weighs the beans and when it sees you running low, it sends a fresh bag o' beans to your doorstep.

Attempting to make your next trip to Walmart a more pleasant one, Walmart will allow shoppers to return purchases and get a refund without having to walk more than a few steps into a store.
Employees called “customer hosts” will personally process shopper returns by the front doors of select Walmart locations.
Greg Foran, President, and CEO of Walmart US, announced this new service at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference on March 6.

Amazon recently announced a new feature that could help stop the porch pirates.
The new feature is called Amazon Day, and it allows Prime members to pick the day on which all their orders from the week will be delivered all – at once.
Calling it “a new level of delivery convenience and predictability,” Amazon says Amazon Day will be available immediately for U.S.-based Amazon Prime members.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is teaming with the New York City Department of Sanitation and NYC Economic Development Corp. for a citywide social media campaign titled #WearNext in order to reduce the amount of clothing being dumped in landfills.
The NYC Department of Sanitation has created a map that will guide people to more than 1,100 locations across the city where they can take clothes they no longer wear. Participating stores and other locations across the city will act as drop-off points.
The campaign also encourages consumers to find ways to repair, reuse, resell or swap old clothing.

A recent report by Bloomberg says the retailer will be releasing a tablet device in the near future. The tablet will be marketed under Walmart's ONN brand.
The report states that the tablet is being manufactured by a supplier in China and will run on Android. The target audience for the device is children.

The Wally Shop is a Brooklyn, New York-based startup that bills itself as a zero-waste grocery store.
It is an eco-friendly way to get your groceries. When you order, a bike courier will head to a farmer’s market or food co-op and deliver it to you. This cuts down on carbon emissions. All of the packaging that is used is recyclable, which cuts down on trash.

The first store is set for Los Angeles in the fall of 2019 and the company has reportedly signed at least two additional locations for 2020 openings. It is negotiating to open stores in San Francisco, Seattle, and Philadelphia. The Journal also reports Amazon is exploring buying regional grocery chains to accelerate its growth.
Unlike Whole Foods, the new grocery chain is expected to be more like a traditional supermarket. \Whole Foods targets higher-end shoppers and good typically cost more. A new grocery chain may target more price-sensitive shoppers.

Airbnb is buying HotelTonight, the hotel-booking application that lets travelers arrange last-minute accommodations.
The financial terms weren’t disclosed, but sources told Axios the homeshare giant paid close to Hotel Tonight’s last private valuation of about $463m. This would make it Airbnb’s largest acquisition ever.
HotelTonight partners with hotels to offer un-sold rooms, catering to business travelers or those looking to make last-minute arrangements.

Amazon has stopped selling the Dash button, although - if you’ve got one already - it will still work.
The idea behind the button was to make it really simple to buy replacement products for goods when you’re running low. It also meant a direct pipeline to brands and sellers, which effectively removed the temptation to shop for lower prices.
Amazon created more than 300 Dash buttons for various products. Not only did they provide a fast way to re-order things, they also served as brand advertising for products when placed in homes.

A super-sized episode: Co-hosts John Suder and Bart Mroz recap Shoptalk 2019, the huge retail show held yearly in Las Vegas.
Since 2015, Shoptalk has been widely regarded as retail’s best show with 8,000+ attendees, including more than 750 CEOs, and the world's best speaker lineup and agenda.

Martha Stewart is the latest celebrity to lend her name to line of CBD-infused products. CNBC reports that Stewart has signed on as an adviser to Canopy Growth, one of the largest marijuana producers in the world, to develop a line of CBD products for animals.

Once approved, brands that join Project Zero will be able to directly flag and remove counterfeit listings of their products from Amazon on their own.
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Tide Cleaners will offer several laundry services, including 24/7 drop boxes located in high rise buildings, offices, and storefronts. The service lets customers pre-pay for laundry and pick up the clean clothes once the app notifies them they’re ready.
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PayCode allows people to shop and buy from Amazon’s online store and then pay for their purchases at local Western Union locations.
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The technology allows shoppers to use their smartphones to scan products on grocery shelves and helps pinpoint items that help meet their dietary needs.
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A group of former company executives have joined together to create a new company, called Tru Kids.
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Sensors and cameras will scan faces and estimate age and gender to deliver targeted messages.
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There is no way for sellers to apply to the program; instead, Target explains that each partner is “carefully selected” and then invited into the program.
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The concept reduces floor space for retail and seasonal items and expands space for health care and wellness.
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The luxury cannabis lifestyle shop, in its Beverly Hills flagship store, makes it the first major retailer to open a legal cannabis department.
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LinkedIn Live will allow individuals or organizations to broadcast real-time video to LinkedIn Groups or to the entire LinkedIn platform.
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Attendees will be able to conveniently order items like sunscreen, hats, and phone chargers and have shipped to the lockers onsite at the festival.
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The world’s largest furniture retailer is doing a proof of concept test starting in its home base of Switzerland by leasing office furniture.
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According to a new patent filing, your Amazon package could be riding on a nearby bus, waiting for your pickup.
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Using Apple’s ARKit and Face ID technology, the app can show users what glasses would look like by rendering them in 3D and overlaying them on top of your face.
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Ahrendts had served in the role at Apple for five years. Executive Director Deirdre O'Brien will assume Ahrendt's role.
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Amazon Live will feature hosts demonstrating products that are for sale on the platform.
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The coffee is a medium-dark whole-bean blend with “flavor notes of cherry and cocoa.” Each 8 oz. cup contains 7 mg. of hemp-derived CDB.
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Zipsell is a self-hosted platform that allows you to set up a fully-functional online store for selling digital products.
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The company is using a virtual simulation video game called “Spark City” to train its employees. The game puts employees in charge of a fictional dry grocery department and challenges them with making it run efficiently.
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Called WW Studio, Kohl’s will launch an 1,800 square foot studio within its store and offer wellness workshops. Kohl’s will also begin selling the WW Healthy Kitchen products, branded kitchenware, and cookware later this year.
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Dream Drive is a suite of apps for both driver and passenger, where users can accumulate points for vouchers for discounts.
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Walmart calls it “smart accessories for an untethered world.” It’s a private level line of tech accessories under the brand name “Motile.”
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Loop is a circular shopping platform that transforms the packaging of your everyday essentials from single-use disposable to durable, feature-packed designs.
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Parcel Guard is an anti-theft mailbox that can only be accessed by your delivery person and you.
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Pensa Systems has developed a drone that can fly around a store and examine items on shelves and in coolers.
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Liquid Death is Austrian mountain water sold in cans. Mike Cessario, a West Coast agency creative, created the brand last year as a side project.
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According to the filing and claims, it’s “an example system for capturing and analyzing sounds in a shopping facility.”
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The new service will allow their customers to receive certain products on a schedule - weekly, monthly, twice a year, or any timeline of their choosing.
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Those with higher scores get special perks for things like waived banking fees, elimination of deposits on rentals, and hotel bookings. WeChat Pay Points analyzes spending behavior and social media connections to formulate a credit score for even those without established financial history.
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The card, which is free to obtain and use, will allow Square connected businesses to withdraw and spend the money brought in via Square payments.
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Axios reports the online giant has partnered with brands including Folgers and Maybelline to send free samples directly to your home. The companies will target Amazon Prime subscribers based on the company’s massive collection of personal data on its users, including things like browsing, order, and engagement history.
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WeWork recently announced a $32 million investment in Laird Superfood, started by surf star Laird Hamilton.
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This new feature would let users do their own live videos to show products and do live demos.
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The Arby's subscription box unveiled at the announcement contained a store serving tray, an Arby's hat, a bacon scarf, and some Arby's temporary tattoos.
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Weebly Photo Studio lets you send products to Weebly to have the items professionally photographed. The service costs $75 per item.
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The advanced technology records microscopic differences in manufactured products then houses those recorded differences as "product fingerprints".
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The Snackbots are outdoor, self-driving robots on wheels making its way around college campuses delivering snacks and soft drinks.
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That’s what some folks at Amazon have dubbed products they are offering that sell for less than what it costs to buy and deliver.
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Users will be able to bypass the lines by letting a biometric kiosk scan their face when they’re ready to leave the rental car lot.
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The social media giant is in talks with HBO, Showtime, and Starz about adding streaming video. Facebook would offer subscriptions to these channels which users would watch within the Facebook platform.
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Their "Clever Cups" are reusable cups that include a contactless payment chip. Instead of cups being used for single-usage, the cups are for continuous use.
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The Season Three premiere of the eCommerce Minute.
In this super-sized episode John and Bart discuss the holiday break, take care of some podcast announcements and make their predictions for 2019.
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On this super-sized episode, Bart and John take a fond look back at some of the episodes from 2018 and look ahead to the trends and stories for 2019.
The eCommerce Minute will return with new episodes in January.

District showcases items from about 140 retailers and features a dynamic real-time feed that presents shoppers with trending products tailored to each user based on past actions, as well as information shared with the app.

This holiday season, eBay is following Amazons lead and releasing a holiday toy catalog. The online retailer is putting out a Toy Book with the hottest gifts this year, as well as listings for rare and retro playthings from your childhood.

When it was all said and done, the total for this year was a staggering $30.8 Billion. That number topped the $25.3 billion record set in 2017 and shows a nearly 27 percent year-on-year rise. This is a huge number, of course, but smaller than the 39 percent year-on-year growth recorded in 2017.